Nestle to resume sales of Maggi by November

 

Swiss food giant Nestle has begun production of Maggi from three of its plants in India and the popular noodle can be expected to be back on shop shelves in a few weeks.The final date, however, has not been fixed yet, the company said on Monday .

The move to start production of Maggi comes after all 90 samples, covering six variants, tested by three laboratories mandated by the Bombay high court, were found to be safe, with lead content much below the permissible limits.

The imminent resumption of Maggi's sales marks an end of nearly six months of turmoil for the brand which has remained a favourite with consumers for years.

In June, Maggi was ordered off the shelves as the country's food regulator found high lead content in some of the samples of Maggi. The tough stance of the regulator triggered a scare among food companies and foreign investors.

“We have resumed manufacturing of Maggi noodles at three of our plants, at Nanjangud (Karnataka), Moga (Punjab) and Bicholim (Goa). In compliance with the orders of the Hon'ble High Court of Bombay , fresh samples from these batches will be sent for testing to the three accredited laboratories designated by the HC,“ said a Nestle spokeswoman. Nestle will commence sale of Maggi only after the samples are cleared by these laboratories, said a company spokesman. “We are engaging with the relevant State authorities and other stakeholders at our other manufacturing locations to commence manufacture at the earliest,“ she said.

The controversy over Maggi had dealt a huge blow to the com pany , its suppliers, factories, employees, truckers and distributors. “Consumers love Maggi the way it is and it's my job to give them Maggi the way it is,“ Nestle India managing director Suresh Narayanan had told TOI in an interview last month.

The company had planned to bring Maggi back in the market by the end of the year but with the results of the tests they would want to hit the shelves in the festival season and seek to help nurse the brand which has been a comfort snack for millions.

Nestle India has conducted over 3,500 tests representing over 200 million packs in both national as well as international accredited laboratories and all reports are clear. In addition to these, various countries including USA, UK, Singapore, Australia and others have found Maggi noodles manufactured in India safe for consumption.